A Flight of Arrows by A.J. MacKenzie (mobi reader android .txt) 📕

Merrivale bowed. ‘Raoul de Brienne, Count of Eu and Guînes and Constable of France,’ he said. ‘I am at your service, my lord.’

‘A curious turn of phrase,’ Eu said. He surveyed his prisoner for a moment. Merrivale studied him in turn, waiting.

Eu pulled up another stool and sat down, studying the gaming table. ‘Are you fond of games of chance, herald?’

‘I dislike gambling, my lord. I prefer calculation.’

‘You dislike gambling? That must make you unique at King Edward’s court.’ The count gestured for Merrivale to sit. ‘Life itself is a gamble, herald. You wagered your life, when you came here to spy for your king.’

He rolled the dice and moved one of the white counters, and sat back looking at Merrivale again, his gaze steady.

‘Someone told you we were coming,’ Merrivale said. ‘Who was it?’

‘Do you really believe I will answer that question? Tell me instead why you came here.’

‘I have a message for you, my lord. And whoever told you we were spies was trying to stop that message from getting through. He hoped you would hang us out of hand, as the bishop and the Sire de Bertrand urged you to do.’

Eu stroked his chin, still watching him. ‘This message. What is it?’

‘Once I have told you, what then?’

‘That depends on the message,’ the count said, ‘and who it is from.’ He gestured towards the gaming table. ‘Your move.’

Merrivale rolled the dice, moved a black piece and pushed the dice back across the table. ‘My message is from the king,’ he said.

The count studied the game. ‘Ah,’ he said after a moment. ‘I see.’

‘But you had already guessed this,’ Merrivale said. ‘That is the real reason why you intervened to stop the bishop from killing us. You wanted to hear what I had to say.’

‘Let us just say your arrival was not unexpected.’ The count picked up the dice and rolled them. ‘And what does Edward Plantagenet want with me?’

Merrivale did not answer directly. ‘You will know by now, my lord, that Godefroi d’Harcourt’s revolt against King Philip has failed.’

‘Yes. It appears that Harcourt has fewer friends than he thought. Even his own brother has turned against him, and gone to join the royal army mustering at Rouen.’

‘As a loyal Frenchman, this must be pleasing to you,’ the herald said. ‘The threat of rebellion is averted and Normandy’s loyalty to the French crown has been secured.’ He paused. ‘Of course, my lord, it depends on who you really are. A Frenchman, or a Norman.’

Eu rolled the dice, studied the table for a long moment and finally moved a piece. ‘And what does your king want from me?’ he asked.

‘His Grace knows that you and the Queen of Navarre are planning a rebellion of your own. This revolt would be much more dangerous than Harcourt’s failed uprising. The queen is King Philip’s cousin. Your ancestors fought for the Holy Sepulchre, and the blood of kings and emperors runs in your veins. Where you lead, thousands will flock to follow you.’

The count said nothing. He picked up one of the gaming pieces, examined it for a moment, then put it back on the board.

‘If you rebel, His Grace will support you,’ Merrivale said. ‘He has fifteen thousand men, and more will come from England. You will need English support if you are to defeat King Philip and his royal army.’

‘What does Edward suggest I do?’

‘Join forces with him,’ Merrivale said. ‘When his army approaches Caen, open the gates of the city and bring your men over to join us.’

Eu made an impatient gesture. ‘If I do, King Philippe will declare me a rebel. All my lands and estates will be forfeit, and I will be no better off than Harcourt. What happens if I refuse Edward’s gentle offer?’

‘Then his Grace will storm the city,’ Merrivale said.

The count gestured towards the windows. ‘Look again, herald. Do you think that will be easy?’

‘The walls of Bourg-le-Roi are old and weak, and will be easy to undermine. Saint-Jean’s only protection, apart from these towers on the bridge, is the river and a wooden palisade. But the river can be swum or forded, and a child could climb over the palisade. Caen will fall, my lord, no matter how stoutly you defend it.’

‘Ah, but you have forgotten the castle. It is impregnable, and its storerooms are full. And I have four thousand men at my command, including a thousand crossbowmen. Even if the city falls, I can hold the castle for weeks.’

Merrivale nodded. ‘Ah, yes. You will hold out until the royal army arrives from Rouen to relieve you. King Edward will be forced to retreat, and the power and prestige of King Philip will grow stronger. The dream of rebellion and a free Normandy will recede into the distance. It would appear you have made your choice, my lord. You are French, after all.’

The count rose to his feet and stood looking down at him. ‘I told you earlier that you were gambling with your life,’ he said. ‘By speaking to me as you have done, you have forfeited your immunity as a herald. I could hang you right now.’

‘You could,’ Merrivale agreed. ‘But as I said, my lord, I prefer calculation to gambling.’

‘Well, let us see if you have calculated correctly. Is there anything you desire?’

‘Yes, my lord. You have in your service a man-at-arms named Macio Chauffin. I should like to speak with him.’

‘Chauffin? Why?’

‘An English knight was murdered shortly after we landed at Saint-Vaast, by one of our own men. I think Chauffin may have witnessed the murder. I would like to ask him what he knows.’

The count raised his eyebrows a little. ‘Why should I care if one of your men was killed? One less of the enemy to worry about.’

‘If indeed we are the enemy,’ said Merrivale. ‘But, my lord, this is a matter of murder, not warfare. And the principles of justice apply equally in France as they do in England, I think.’

Eu